‘Most Shimla buildings quake prone’

“The biggest threat from earthquake is to some of the heritage buildings,which if damaged,can’t be rebuilt or involves a high cost for restoration. Safety of school buildings is equally important as risks to loss of lives,as happened in Bhuj (Gujarat) earthquake,are very high,” Ekta Bartarya,project support associate with UNDP,said.

Ekta said the agency is working in close collaboration with Shimla Municipal Corporation to ensure that new building laws are strictly enforced to reduce risks to lives and properties,besides business.

“It’s not alone the number of people dying in earthquakes,it actually hits the entire lifeline of the place and eventually needs heavy investment for reconstruction activity. Also,what’s more important is the first mitigation efforts and response to tragedy for which citizens,local organisations and government agencies need to be fully sensitised,” she said.

At a media interaction workshop here,Ekta said the home ministry had issued guidelines for all new buildings to be earthquake resistant,especially in cities like Shimla,which fall in zone IX. Shimla also has high vulnerability to heavy rains,landslides,fires and snowfalls. She said banking institutions are also now required to take a structural safety study of the buildings before granting approvals for its financing .

The UNDP has already taken up a base-line study of these risks and will prepare a plan for mitigation and disaster risk management with the help of municipal corporation at the citizens level and administration. “We generate a data base,which can be assessed in case of emergencies by the agencies and citizens. Soon we will start taking inventories of all heritage buildings,schools and old institutions in the town and start advocacy work for the citizens and school managements. Media and other stake holders will also be made active partners in the advocacy work for risk reduction,” she said.

Shimla Municipal Corporation Assistant Commissioner Ashish Kohli said the corporation will be the nodal agency for implementation of the home ministry’s earthquake risk reduction programme.